Schools within networks: An exploratory investigation on the structure and functioning of schools’ local networks

Abstract

The main purpose of this paper is the description of the structure and internal relations of local networks of schools and other non-school nodes, designed to improve the quality of some schooling behaviours such as special educational needs,
interculturalism, guidance, etc. Using a questionnaire and a sociometric test, and a series of follow-up focus-groups, five regional networks are analysed according to the Social Network Analysis approach (SNA); all of them belong to the Province of
Trento, which represent almost all the networks in an area where schools are active partners. Results indicate that networks differ more in terms of composition, and less in terms of functioning—despite peculiarities in their internal features. The presence of public and private non-schools nodes was taken into account to describe some structural and functional characteristics. The cases presented indicate that higher levels of network cohesion are obtained by increasing levels of heterogeneity, and by working among nodes in different areas of interest.